Wine decanters make wonderful gifts and, some might say, important pieces to have in your home. Especially for connoisseurs, they perform a more important function than just providing something more elegant to pour your house bottle from than the bottle. For red wine drinkers they help to aerate a younger Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Just pouring from bottle to decanter opens-up flavors which might have otherwise taken hours on your kitchen counter or months in a cellar.
These vessels are available in several shapes and volumes on-line or at good kitchen and glass ware shops. Among these consumers might be tempted by a novelty piece. These often sport handles and tip over like a chicken pecking at corn. Another popular shape is the swan, resting on its stomach, neck long and narrow, head reaching out for your glass. Look also for the very long, flute-like decanters which require a lot of space behind you when preparing to pour.
Personalized Painted Wine Glasses
They will not, however, fall over. Gravity looks ready to have its way, but handy built-in features prevent such a crisis and loss of liquid. Some models are made with flat bases moved from what would have been the bottom to the belly. Others come with frames to sit in.
A simpler look would be the traditional shape, a safe bet when giving this as a corporate gift. This starts with a narrow lip, like the open face of a flower. Follow this down a narrow stem to its wide base. Some will be slightly wider than the top but many are extremely wide, though rarely very tall.
Add a stopper in some instances to preserve liquid from bugs or from going stale, though not always. Most decanters are made from glass or crystal. A sommelier will tell you that these are the two best media for holding decanted wine, crystal in particular.
Cleaning is important to flavor and hygiene. A bit of old Chardonnay can adversely affect your next bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. To get into such a narrow space then adequately wash the bulb can be extremely difficult. A special kit makes the job easier, or you could just use warm water over and over to loosen and drain out the last drops.
Decanter kits are sometimes elaborate and ornamental. They might feature silver plated bases or matching stemware. They could come with a frame that holds an inverted triangle-shaped version over the wine glass like an icing bag over your cupcake. For an item that looks glorious on its own look for painted vessels you might be tempted to put flowers in.